Hood latch



ww M W W JM oid J. F. WHHTE HOOD LATCH Filed April 27 Patent July 1, 1924.

i; i E I JOHN F. WHITE, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNGR TO WHITE PRODUCTS CO'., 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

HOOD LATCH.

Application filed April 27,' 1921. Serial No. 464,882.

The principal purposes of the invention,

broadly stated, are the provision of a latch of this nature which is of a simple durable construction, which is easily manipulated, and which is characterized by an extremely pleasing inconspicuous appearance.

One of the most salient features of the latch lies in its eflicient manner of operation, wherein the strong spring tension provided for maintaining the hood in its fastened position is applied thereto without effort by a progressively increasing leverage through the fulcrumed movement of the latch handle.

Another important feature resides in the automatic interlocking of the latch under the previously mentioned spring tension, whereby forces tending to raise the hood when the same is fastened merely result in a more secure locking of the latching means.

Other rvadvantages present in this inven'- tion will be appreciated as the nature of the same is bctterunderstood from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein is set forth what is now considered to be two preferred embodiments of the invention. The particular embodiments disclosed are merely illustrative however and are not intended to be construed as a restriction on the spirit of the invention or as en unnecessary limitation of the scope of the claims.

ln the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the latch in its fastened position, showing in section the hood, keeper and latch pivot;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the latch and keeper as viewed from within the hood;

Fig. 3 is a view, corresponding tc Fig. 1, of a modified form of the latch; and

Fig. 4 is another view, corresponding to Fig. 2, of the -modified form.

Referring .in detail to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, it will be observed that the side of the hood 10 which is hinged to the upper portion of the same at 11 contacts, when lowered into the closed position here illustrated, against an upwardly bent flange 12 'of a positioning strip carried on the chassis 13 of the vehicle.

An escutcheon plate 14 is secured to the outer side of the hood by bolts 15, and, while adding distinctly to the appearance of the latch, serves as a reinforcement for the hood at that point. A narrow vertical rectangular slot 16 iscut in the plate and hood, and receives the hook member 17 of the latch. This member comprises a stem 18 which is provided at its outer end with a transverse handle 19,'and, at its inner end, with 'a flat head 20 of substantially semi-circular shape. The straight edge 21 of this semi-circular head lies at an obtuse angle tothe axis of stem 18 and, when the -hood is closed and the latch fastened, substantially fills the slot 16 flush with the escutcheon plate 14.

A deep angular notch 22 is cut in the curved edge 23 of the head 2O adjacent the top' of the straight edge 21, and constitutes a eeper-engaging hook. A portion of the curved edge 23 adjacent the stem 18 and diametrically opposite thenotch 22 is also cut away whereby to form a shoulder 24 adapted to interlock, as shown in Fig. 1, with the inner bottom edge 25 of the slot 16 when the latch is in its fastened position. l

An elongated slot 26 is formed in the head 20 with its axis approximately bisectin the angle presented by the intersection o the extension of the stem axis and the head diameter on which the shoulder 24 and notch 22 .are disposed. This slot is rounded at both ends and provides al pivotal fulcruming bearing for the hook member 17 on a transverse pin 27 which is journalled at either end in small brackets 28 fixedly ositioned on lthe inner side of the hood at oth sides of the slot 16. The center of the rounded end'of the slot adjacent the stern 18 is the center of the semi-circular curved edge 23 of the head, and also the axis on which the pin 27 normally journals the hook member when the latter is being turned into its fastened position.

The keeper of this latching device comprises a plate 29 which is bolted at one endV to the chassis, and is bent slightly upward at its other end and there provided with two spaced threaded cylindrical .lugs 30. Spiral springs 3l, the coils of which when unstressed are substantially closed, telescope over these ings and are secured thereto in threaded engagement with the same. rihese springs extend upwardly at the same slightly oblique angle as the lugs and are secured in a similar manner about the downwardly depending ends of an in verted lil-shaped yoke 32. This yoke of the. keeper, when not pulled upwardly by the coi-acting hooking member 17 against the resistance of the coil springs 31, is normally supported by the springs at approximately the height of the pin 27, being deflected and pressed laterally inward by the head 20 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the hood is not in this closed position however the resilient construction of the keeper causes the spring sides thereof to assume a position cov-axial with that occupied when in the fastened and conse uently stressed position.

t should of course be understood that, while this particular type of keeper is disclosed, any keeper having similar flexible and yielding properties may be employed with equal success.

The operation of the latch will now be described. Assuming that the hooking member is in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 with its handle raised and its notch 22 engaging the keeper, it is merely necessary to push downwardly the handle in order to fasten the device. As the distance from the pin 27 to the bot-tom of the slot 16 is approximately equal to the radius of the curved edge of the head 20 the exposed portion of the curved edge 23 of the head will pivot about the pin 27 into the slot 16 as the springs 31 become elongated and tensioned upon being raised by the leverage applied thereto through the handle on its fulcruming pin 27. As the handle is pushed into a lower position and the slot 26 consequently becomes more nearly vertical the resistance offered by the keeper in being raised is gradually shifted from the pivotal fulcruming pin 27 to the bottom of the slot 16 upon which the curved edge 23 rides. As the shoulder 24 of the curved edge reaches the edge 25 of the bottom of the slot. the pin 27 becomes relie-ved of practically all of its load, and the bottom of the slot 16 receives through the head 2() the force of7 the stressed springs of the keeper. `When the handle is pushed to its lowest position the curved edge 23 of the head rides off the bottom of the slot 16 and permits the hooking member 17 to move bodily downward under the action of the keeper, whereby the shoulder 2i of the head interlocks with the edge. 25 of the 4slot 16. This downward movement of the hooking member changes of course the relative position of the pin 27 in the pivoting slot 26, and in so doing cams the upper hook end ofthe head outwardly whereby the point of application of the tension of the keeper is shifted more nearly over the pin 27 and the straight edge 21 of the head is moved outwardly into a position flush with the escutcheon plate 14.

The latch is now securely fastened, and any forces tending to raise the hood will obviously result in a more secure interlocking of the latch head and the slot 16.

To unfasten the latch it is only necessary to pull upwardly on the handle until the shoulder 25 of the head cams over the bottom of the slot 16, whereupon the tension of the keeper will assist to further turn the hooking member until it assumes the unlocked position.

The slot 26 in the latch head may be continued in the direction of the hooking notch 22 a short distance further than is necessary to accommodate the pin 27 during the fastening operation of the latch. rlihis extension of the slotl permits the hooking member to be drawn further away from the keeper when said member is pulled upwardly in the act of raising the hood. Although the construction as hereinbefore set forth of the slot 26 in the head of the hooking member is considered preferable, measurably good results may also be obtained by the employment of other shaped apertures in lieu thereof, such for instance as a circular one which would include within its area the two relative positions assumed by the pin 27 and shown in Fig. 1.

The other embodimentof the invention., which is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4i, will now be described. inasmuch as the two forms of.the invention are in many respects substantially identical, the following description will be confined for the most part to the points wherein this second form of the invention differs in construction from the first.

The head 2O of the hooking member 17 is provided in this second embodiment with a circular aperture 33 which snugly tits about a journalling pin 34 corresponding to the pin 27 of Fig. 1. This pin is in turn supported at both its ends in ears 35 which are preferably formed as integral inward projections from the plate 14 which borders the slot 16 on the outer face of the side of the hood 10. rl`he upper surfaces of the ears 35 arc provided with laterally aligned notches 36 which are adapted to receive the `voke 32 of the then stressed keeper when the latch is in its fastened position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3.

A deep angular notch 37, suhstantiallv similar in shape and position to the notch 22 of the iii-st descnbed embodiment, is cut in the head 2O of the hooking member, and is adapted to engage the yoke 32 of the keeper and raise it into a position against the shoulders 38 whichconstitute the outer sides of the notches 36, whereupon a slight further movement of the notch 37 and contained yoke 32 toward the ears 35 by the continued downward movement of the latch handle 17 causes the yoke to cam over said shoulders 38 and become firmly seated in the notches 36 on the far side thereof.

The bottoms of the notches 36 and 37 are disposed at substantially the same distances above the pivoting pin -34 whereby" to eliminate any play of the hooking member 17 when the latch is in its fastened position. Both sides 39 and 40 of the notch 37 are of course-a-greater distance above the pin 34 than the shoulders 38 of the ears 35 in order that upon pivotal movement of the head 20 in either direction one of the sides 39 or 40 of the notch will engage the keeper and cause the same to cam into or out of the notches 36 over the shoulders 38.

Inasmueh as the head 2O in this second form of the invention does not ride, through a portion of its movement, on the bottom of the slot I16, the contour of this portion of the head need not be arcuately formed with its center at the pivotingpoint, but may, on the other hand, be of. any shape which will in its downward movement serve to cam the yoke 32 outwardly whereby to subsequently snap inwardly into the notch 37.

In both embodiments of the invention it will be noted that the angle formed by thev yoke-engaging notch in the head 20, the fulcruming point at the pivot pin and the handle is obtuse. This construction results in an increased leverage appl'ed in latching the device commensurate with the increasing resistance of the keeper as the latter is stressed into the fastened position.

I claim:

1. In a hood latch, a hooking member projecting exteriorly of the hood, a fulcrum adapted to cooperate with said member, a.

keeper carried by the stationary structure inter'orly of the hood, and means functioning when the hooking member in engagement with the keeper hasreached the fastened position of the latch for securing the member in said position.

2. In a hood latch, a hooking member projecting exteriorly of the hood, a fulcrum adapted to cooperate with said member, a resilient keeper carried by the stationary structure interiorly of the hood, and means functioning when the hooking member in engagement with the keeper has reached the fastened position of thc latch for securing the member in said position.

3. In a hood latch, a hooking member projecting exteriorly of the hood, a fulcrum adapted to cooperate wth said member, a keeper carried bv the stationary structure interiorly of the hood and having a springsupported yoke, and means functioning when the hooking member in engagement with the keeper has reached the fastened position of the latch for securing the member in said position.

4. In a hood latch, a hooking' member projecting eXterorly of the hood through an aperture therein, a fulcrum adapted to cooperate with said member, a keeper carrier by the stationary structure interiorly of the hood, and means functioning when the hooking member in engagement with the keeper has reached the fastened position of the latch for securing the member in said position, said member when in its fastened position serving to substantially close the aperture in the hood.

5. In a hood latch, a hooking member projecting exteriorly of the hood, a lfulcrum adapted to cooperate with said member, a keeper carried by the stationary structure interior-ly of the hood, and `means functioning automatically when the hooking member in engagement with the keeper has reached the fastened position of the latch for securing the member in said position.

6. In a hood latch, a hooking member projecting exteriorly of the hood and provided adjacent one end with a hooking portion, a fulcrum adapted to cooperate with said member intermediate the length thereof, a keeper carried by the stationary structure interiorly of the hood, and means functioning when the hooking member in engagement with the keeper has reached the fastened position of the latch for securing the membery in said position.

7. In a hood latch, a hooking member projecting exteriorly of the hood and provided adjacent one end with a hooking portion and adjacent the other endvwith' a handle portion, a fulcrum adapted to cooperate with said member intermediate the hooking and handle portions thereof, a

keeper carried by the stationary structure interiorly of the hood, and means functioning when the hooking member in' engagement with the keeperhas reached the fastened position of the latch for securing the member` in said position.

8. In a hood latch, a hooking member projecting exteriorly of the hood and provided adjacent one end `with a hooking 'portion and adjacent the other end with a handle portion, a fulcrum adapted to cooperate withsai-d member intermediate the hooking and handle portions thereof, a keeper carried by the stationary structure interiorly of the hood, and means functioning when the hooking member in engagement with the keeper has reached the fastened position of the latch for securing the vmember in said position, said hooking portion, fulcrum and handle being disposed to form therebetween an upwardly obtuse angle.

9. In a hood latch, a hooking member sition of the member is maintained.

10. In a hood latch, a hooking member provided with a hook` a shoulder and an elongated aperture, a keeper adapted to engage with said hook, a pin passing through said aperture and occupying only a portion thereof at one time, and means for engaging said shoulder upon the bodily downward movement of the hooking member when assuming its fastened position, whereby said position of the member is maintained.

11. lin a hood latch, the combination with a hood having a slot in the side thereof, of a hooking member composed of a handle and a head portion provided with a hook and a shoulder, a keeper adapted to engage with said hook, and means for mounting said member in said slot whereby upon reaching its fully fastened position the hooking meinber will shift bodily and the shoulder thereof will interlock with the bottom of the slot in the hood to maintain the latch fastened. t

12. In a hood latch, the combination with a hood having a slot in the side thereof, of a hooking member composed of a handle and a head portion provided with a hook and a shoulder, a. keeper adapted to engage with Said hook, and means for mounting said member in said slot whereby upon reaching its fully fastened position the hooking mem ber will shift bodily toward the keeper and the shoulder thereof will interlock with the bottom of the slot in the hood to maintain the latch fastened.

13. In a hood latch, the combination with a hood having a slot in the side thereof, of a hooking member composed of ay handle and a head portion provided with a hook and a shoulder, a keeper adapted to engage with said hook, and means for mounting said member in said slot whereby upon reaching its fully fastened position the hooking mem ber will automatically shift bodily down# Ward and the shoulder thereof will mterlock with the bottom of the'slot in the hood to maintain the latch fastened.

14. ln a hood latch, the combination with a hood having a slot in the side thereof, of a hooking member composed of. a handle and a head portion provided with a hook and a shoulder, a resilient kee ver adapted to engage With said hook, an means for mounting said member in said slot whereby upon reaching its fully fastened position the hooking member will shift bodily and the shoulder thereof will interlock with the bottom of t-he slot in the hood to maintain the latch fastened.

, 15. In a hood latch, the combination with a hood having a slot in the side thereof, of a hooking member composed of a handle and a substantially semi-circular head portion provided adjacent one end of its arcuate edge with a hook and adjacent the other end of said edge with a depression whereby to constitute a shoulder of said last mentioned end, a bearing slot in said head portion having its end which is nearer said shoulder substantially in the center of the arcuate edge of the head portion, a pin mounted on the hood across the slot therein and passing through the bearing slot of the head portion, and a keeper adapted to engage, with said hook.

16. ln a hood latch, the combination with a hood having a slot in the side thereof, of a hooking member composed of a handle and a substantially semi-circular head portion provided adjacent one end of its arcuate edge with a hook and adjacent the other end of said edge with a depression whereby to constitute a shoulder of said last mentioned end, a bearing slot in said head portion having its end which is nearer said shoulder substantially in the center of the arcuate edge of the head portion, a small eylindrical pin mounted on the hood across the slot. therein and passing through the bearing slot. of the head portion, and a resilient keeper adapted to engage with said hook.

17. ln a hood latch, a hooking member provided adjacent one end with a hooking portion and adjacent the other end with a handle portion, a fulcrum adapted to cooperate with said member intermediate the hooking and handle portions thereof, and a keeper adapted to engage with said hooking portion, the angle formed between the hooking portion and fulcrum and the handle portion and the fulcrum being upwardly obtuse whereby a downward pressure on the handle portion results in a progressively increasing leverage against resistance to upward movement of the hooking portion.

1n testimony whereof ll have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

vJHN F. lVltllTlE. lVitnesses:

RAYMOND lL. GREIST, DOROTHY d. Rosin. 

